Nerchau is a town and a former municipality in the

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

district, in the

Free State of Saxony Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procure ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Since 1 January 2011, it is a part (''Ortschaft'') of the town Grimma. It is situated on the river Mulde, 7 km northeast of Grimma, and 30 km east of

(centre).

Events

Schützenfest A Schützenfest (, '' marksmen's festival'') is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. At a Schützenfest, contestants compete based on their shooting ...

(July/August) * Mulde Regatta (August) * Mulde Valley half marathon (April)

History and Economy

Nerchau is known for its paint factory which was established by the Hessel brothers in 1834. By 1880 it employed over 100 people. In 1945 the paint factory was nationalized by

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. After

German Reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

the factory was sold a number of times and now belongs to Schoenfeld GmbH (Düsseldorf), which produces artists' paints ''Lukas'' since 1862. The town has suffered from depopulation in recent years. In January 2013 Daler-Rowney purchased Lukas and Nerchau, two German brands, with the intention of developing them further in their home country and far further afield. In February 2016, Daler-Rowney was acquired by the Milan-based F.I.L.A. Group, who also owns the U.S. Dixon Ticonderoga Company.

Transport

The Autobahn A 14 runs nearby.

Famous people

* The Kessler Twins (Alice and Ellen, b. 1936), dancers, actresses and entertainers * Thomas Grimm (b. 1973), swimmer, participant in the paralympic games

References

External links

Former municipalities in Saxony Grimma {{Leipzig-geo-stub